For those of you who have joined the Twittersphere, I'm sure you've been surprised at how quickly you can connect with key influencers around the word. As a public relations consultant, I've gained quick and easy access to resources I need to run my business successfully. Those being international media, clients, stakeholders and other public relations professionals. Keeping my followers "in the loop" on what I'm working on has not only helped to leverage the profile of my business but also my clients.
Twitter has also opened up a world of new possibilities for billables! Businesses, corporations and non-profits are hiring consultants like me to manage their Twitter accounts. At the moment, I'm ghost writing and managing 5 accounts and next week I'll be adding one more.
So if you've heard the buzz and haven't taken the leap. Now is the time! Twitter may crash and burn eventually but for now it's the social media site of choice.
By the way, I'm looking for more followers. Click here to join me on my ride through the Twittersphere. http://twitter.com/PurePR
http://www.puremarketingpr.com
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
For the record, there's no "off the record"!
I recently heard a story about a small business owner who learned the hard way that there's no such thing as "off the record" when speaking with the media. She felt her words were taken out of context and that she was completely misrepresented in an article written for a major local newspaper.
The golden rule when being interviewed is to never assume anything you say is off the record. Reporters are just doing their job by asking you the questions and opening up a dialogue to learn more about you, your business and your current situation. They're trained to be inquisitive and if they're a good reporter, they'll be hungry to get the scoop and any exclusive news you might be able to reveal. If you happen to tip them off on something that interests them, chances are they won't be able to resist making it public.
It's your job to be prepared for the interview. Review your key messages and make sure you stick to them even when you feel like you're being probed to say more. Make sure you have some background on the reporter like who they work for, what beat they cover and definitely read, listen and/or watch their work. Go over your prepared Q & As and seriously consider getting some media training.
The media can be your friend if you know how to play their game. Hire a media relations consultant who knows how to make you a winner in every interview.
The golden rule when being interviewed is to never assume anything you say is off the record. Reporters are just doing their job by asking you the questions and opening up a dialogue to learn more about you, your business and your current situation. They're trained to be inquisitive and if they're a good reporter, they'll be hungry to get the scoop and any exclusive news you might be able to reveal. If you happen to tip them off on something that interests them, chances are they won't be able to resist making it public.
It's your job to be prepared for the interview. Review your key messages and make sure you stick to them even when you feel like you're being probed to say more. Make sure you have some background on the reporter like who they work for, what beat they cover and definitely read, listen and/or watch their work. Go over your prepared Q & As and seriously consider getting some media training.
The media can be your friend if you know how to play their game. Hire a media relations consultant who knows how to make you a winner in every interview.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thank goodness for the Lipstick Factor!
I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about this so-called “lipstick factor” lately and I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first. If you haven’t heard of it, the lipstick factor is a theory that says that even when times are tough people are still willing to spend on little indulgences like lipstick, fast food and a bottle of wine (or in my case, bottles and bottles of wine!) Sure, it makes sense I suppose that buying frivolous, inexpensive things can make us feel good in hard times, but shouldn’t we all be saving, just in case we loose our jobs?!!!
Proof in point, my client Tracy Dueck, owner of Tracycakes Bakery Cafe (http://www.tracycakesonline.com/)
just opened her third cupcake cafe on the beachfront in White Rock. Many questioned whether opening another café in a super expensive location during an economic downturn made financial sense. I sure thought it was gutsy! But since the day Tracy opened, the cupcakes can have been flying out the door and she’s been racing ever since to keep up with the demand. Sure her cupcakes are fabulous and absolutely adorable and her lunches are great and her high tea service sublime, but wow – people sure are intent on getting their little fixes even when budgets are tight!
The story’s the same with another client of mine, Well Seasoned (http://www.wellseasoned.ca/), a gourmet food store and cooking school in Langley. You get great value for your money in this store if you like high end, quality ingredients but you’re not likely to find many bargains. In fact owner, Angie Quaale prides herself on never having a “sale” because she simply doesn’t need to. Believe it or not, in this economic downturn, she’s managed to have record sales since the beginning of 2009. Those bottles of vinegar, chutneys and gourmet spice mixes are exactly what the experts were talking about when they came up with the theory for the lipstick factor.
Maybe the looming recession’s not so bad after all, especially if you’re in the lipstick business and you've hired the right marketers!
Proof in point, my client Tracy Dueck, owner of Tracycakes Bakery Cafe (http://www.tracycakesonline.com/)
just opened her third cupcake cafe on the beachfront in White Rock. Many questioned whether opening another café in a super expensive location during an economic downturn made financial sense. I sure thought it was gutsy! But since the day Tracy opened, the cupcakes can have been flying out the door and she’s been racing ever since to keep up with the demand. Sure her cupcakes are fabulous and absolutely adorable and her lunches are great and her high tea service sublime, but wow – people sure are intent on getting their little fixes even when budgets are tight!
The story’s the same with another client of mine, Well Seasoned (http://www.wellseasoned.ca/), a gourmet food store and cooking school in Langley. You get great value for your money in this store if you like high end, quality ingredients but you’re not likely to find many bargains. In fact owner, Angie Quaale prides herself on never having a “sale” because she simply doesn’t need to. Believe it or not, in this economic downturn, she’s managed to have record sales since the beginning of 2009. Those bottles of vinegar, chutneys and gourmet spice mixes are exactly what the experts were talking about when they came up with the theory for the lipstick factor.
Maybe the looming recession’s not so bad after all, especially if you’re in the lipstick business and you've hired the right marketers!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
New Year - New Blog!
This is my first foray into the elusive world of blogging! I've set up an account and I've carved out my space in cyberspace. 2009 is going to be my year to master web 2.0 marketing - well "master" might be a strong word, but at least "explore" it!
I've been doing so much reading lately on social networking, RSS feeds, YouTube, podcasting, streaming video and of course, blogging. A book that has been my inspiration - New Influencers by Paul Gillon http://www.newinfluencers.com/ and other authors and bloggers, have helped me to better understand this world. I figure I better jump on this new communications trend before I get left in the dust! After all, communications is the business I'm in, yet so many of us (including me until now) are afraid of new technology and changing the way we do our work. This is my year to embrace change and LOTS of it - in my work and my personal life! Change is exciting, it keeps things fresh and interesting. The same-old is boring and stale, I say!
Here's to a new year of blogging and interesting posts - I hope!
Come back and check me out my new posts every so often, and please comment...but go easy.
I've been doing so much reading lately on social networking, RSS feeds, YouTube, podcasting, streaming video and of course, blogging. A book that has been my inspiration - New Influencers by Paul Gillon http://www.newinfluencers.com/ and other authors and bloggers, have helped me to better understand this world. I figure I better jump on this new communications trend before I get left in the dust! After all, communications is the business I'm in, yet so many of us (including me until now) are afraid of new technology and changing the way we do our work. This is my year to embrace change and LOTS of it - in my work and my personal life! Change is exciting, it keeps things fresh and interesting. The same-old is boring and stale, I say!
Here's to a new year of blogging and interesting posts - I hope!
Come back and check me out my new posts every so often, and please comment...but go easy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
